Fired Aging Agency Employee Loses Reinstatement Request

Urbanna — An employee fired by the local Agency on Aging lost his final appeal to be reinstated to his job, said the agency's director, Allyn W. Gemerek.

The Northern Neck-Middle Peninsula Area Agency on Aging Board of directors voted unanimously Thursday to uphold Gemerek's decision to fire Craig Oxendine, former head of the Dragon Run Country Store and Senior Craft Cooperative.

It was Oxendine's third unsuccessful appeal. Following his dismissal in September, Oxendine appealed to Gemerek, who stuck by his decision. Oxendine then brought his case before a three-member panel, which included one man he selected. The panel voted unanimously to support Gemerek.

"It's finished as far as we're concerned," Gemerek said. He would not discuss Oxendine's firing. Oxendine could not be reached for comment.

The board also gave its formal approval to the agency to go ahead with its pursuit of state money to rehabilitate housing for elderly people with low or moderate incomes in Gloucester, Mathews and Richmond counties. The agency must still get approval from the supervisors of those counties before applying for a state grant.

Gemerek briefed the board on the status of the Gloucester Senior Center. The Center was willed to the county by H. Maude Booker, who died about three years ago, for the permanent benefit of its senior citizens. The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors had discussed the idea to sell the property, which is on Main Street in Gloucester Court House, and build a new center on Route 17. Gemerek said, but the idea met with disapproval from seniors who use the center.

The center's fate is in the government's hands. "It's the county's property, and what they choose to do with the property involves the county, the executors of Mrs. Booker's will, and from a political point of view, the seniors," said Gemerek.